Washington City Makes 100% Renewables Commitment

The Edmonds, Wash., City Council has approved a resolution establishing a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2025. According to the Sierra Club, Edmonds represents the first city or town in Washington state to commit to 100% renewable energy and the 37th city in the U.S. to make such a commitment.

The Sierra Club says Edmonds receives power from the Snohomish Public Utility District, which gets most of its power from Bonneville Power Administration’s hydro-heavy mix. In 2015, approximately 10% of that energy came from nuclear sources, with a small amount of coal and natural gas (less than 2%) likely included, adds the Sierra Club.

Edmonds Councilman Mike Nelson, who amended the resolution to make the 100% clean energy commitment, says, “The majority of harmful greenhouse-gas emissions come from cities, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Whether you are a small city, like Edmonds, or a large city, the infrastructure is in place to shift to clean, renewable energy. We hope every city in our state joins us and flips the switch to renewable energy.”

Victoria Leistman, associate organizer for the Sierra Club, comments, “With the federal government working against our clean energy future, leadership on climate action is going to have to come from cities and states.”

Edmonds’ 100% renewables commitment comes just days after the U.S. Conference of Mayors approved a resolution that establishes support from the nation’s mayors for the goal of moving to 100% clean and renewable energy in cities nationwide.